Unit 6: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion 

  
Lesson 6.4 
Newton’s Second Law of Motion 
 
Contents 
Introduction 1 

Learning Objectives 2 

Warm Up 2 

Learn about It! 5 

Newton’s Second Law of Motion 5 
Force and Mass 6 
Calculations for the Second Law of Motion 7 
Limitations of the Second Law 8 
Let’s PracticeI 9 

Key Points 15 

Key Formula 16 

Check Your Understanding 17 

Challenge Yourself 18 

Bibliography 19 

Key to Try it! 20 

 
   

 
  
Unit 6: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

Lesson 6.4 

Newton’s Second Law of Motion 

 

  Introduction 
Isaac  Newton  once  remarked that some of his greatest discoveries were done while he was 
“standing  on  the  shoulders  of  giants”.  The  Three  Laws  of  Motion  attributed  to  his  name, 
were  in  fact  formulated  from  pre-existing  notions  on  force  and  motion  long  developed  by 
scientists  like  Galileo,  Kepler,  Brahe,  among  others.  The  Second  Law  of  Motion,  for 
instance,  was  a  result  of  Newton’s  persistent  inquiry  about  the  “missing  link”  on  Kepler’s 
studies  about  the  orbits  of  planets,  as  well  as  the  moon’s  motion  around  the  Earth. 
Wondering  how  his  musing over an apple’s fall skyrocketed to heavenly motion? Let us find 
out about it, and then some.  
 
 

 
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Unit 6: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

DepEd Competency 
Learning Objectives 
● Apply Newton’s Second Law and 
kinematics to obtain quantitative 
In this lesson, you should be able to do the 
and qualitative conclusions about 
following:  velocity and acceleration of one or 

● Determine  the  relationships  between  more bodies, and contact and 

non-contact forces acting on one 
force, mass, and acceleration.  
or more bodies  
● State the Second Law of Motion.  (STEM_GP12N-Ie36). 
● Solve problems using Newton’s 
● Solve  problems  using  the  Second  Law 
Laws of Motion in problems such 
of Motion.  as, but not limited to, ropes and 
pulleys, the design of mobile 
sculptures, transport of load on 
conveyor belts, force needed to 
move stalled vehicles, 
determination of safe driving 
speeds on banked curved roads 
(STEM_GP12N-Ie38). 
 

  Warm Up       
  Forces and Motion: Basics    10 minutes 
 
In  this  activity,  we  will  continue  exploring  the  simulation  Forces  and  Motion:  Basics.  Here, 
you will investigate how applied force and mass affect the motion of an object. 
 

Materials 
● laptop/tablet/phone 
● paper 
● pen or pencil  
● stopwatch/phone timer 

 
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Procedure 
1. Open  the  “Motion”  option  of  the  simulation.  Freely  explore  its  parameters  for  30 
seconds.  

Forces and Motion: Basics  

University of Colorado Boulder, “Forces and Motion: Basics,” 
PhET Interactive Simulations,   
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/forces-and-motion-b
asics, last accessed on April 03 2020.    
 
2. Reset  the  simulation  and  tick  the  following  options:  “Force”,  “Values”,  and  “Speed”. 
Then, replace the box on top of the skateboard with the box, as shown in Fig. 6.4.1. 
 

 
Fig. 6.4.1. Forces and Motion: Basics  
 
3. Set  the  force  to  200  N.  Measure  the  time  it  will  take  the  skateboard  to  reach  its 
maximum  speed.  Then,  repeat  this  process  for Forces 300 N and 400 N. Record your 
findings on Table 6.4.1. 
4. Reset  the simulation and tick the options “Force”, “Values”, “Speed”, and “Masses”. Set 
the  value  of  the  force  to  200  N,  then,  measure  the  amount  of  time  it  will  take  each 
object in Table 6.4.2. to reach its maximum speed. 

 
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Data Tables 
Table 6.4.1. Forces and Time to Maximum Speed 

Applied Force   Time to Maximum Speed 

200 N   

300 N    

400 N   

 
Table 6.4.2. Masses and Time to Maximum Speed 

Masses  Time to Maximum Speed 

50-kg box   

80-kg man   

200-kg refrigerator   

 
Guide Questions 
1. What  have  you  observed  about  the  values  of  “time  to  maximum  speed”  as  the 
“applied force” values increased?  
2. What  have  you  observed  about  the  values  of  “time  to  maximum  speed”  as  the 
“masses” values increased?   
3. Explain the relationship between speed and applied force, and speed and mass. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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  Learn about It! 

You  have  learned  from  Newton’s  First  Law  that  a  zero  net  force  acting  upon  an  object 
implies  that  it  has  moved  with  zero  acceleration  and  constant  velocity.  The  primary 
significance  of  the  Law  of  Inertia  lies  in  its  ability  to  predict  an  object’s  motion  when  all the 
forces acting upon it are balanced. What happens when they are not?  
 

What determines the acceleration of an object? 

 
 
 
Newton’s Second Law of Motion 
Acceleration  is  defined  simply  as  a  change  in  velocity.  From  the  First  Law,  we were able to 
infer  that  when the net external force (or the combination of individual forces exerted on an 
object)  is  not  zero,  acceleration  occurs.  Fig.  6.4.2  shows that the  magnitude of acceleration 
(a)  is  directly  proportional  to  the  magnitude  of  the  net  external  force  (ΣF)  exerted  on  an 
object of a given mass (m).  

Fig. 6.4.2. Direct proportionality between acceleration and net force 

 
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Remember 
Oftentimes,  the  concept  of  external  force  is  easy  to  identify 
intuitively;  sometimes,  however,  it  is  not  very  obvious.  Remember 
that  in  identifying  the  external  forces  acting  upon  an  object,  it  is 
necessary  to  first  determine  the  system  of  interest  and  its 
boundaries.  Any  force  from  outside  of  this  system  that  affects  the 
object under consideration is an external force.  

 
Force and Mass 
The direct proportionality between acceleration and net force leads us to a crucial inference: 
there  is  a  constant  ratio,  specifically  referred to as inertial mass (m), between the net force’s 
magnitude  (ΣF)  and  the  acceleration’s  magnitude  (a).  Their  application  is  presented  in  Fig. 
6.4.3, and their relationship is mathematically expressed as follows: 

or or  
 
 
 

Fig. 6.4.3. Relations between force, mass, and acceleration 

 

Remember 
Kilogram  is  the  SI  unit  of  mass  (the  prototype  of  which  (called  Le 
Grande  K  or  Big  K)  is  found  at  the  International  Bureau  of  Weights 
and  Measures  in  Sèvres,  France.  This  standard  kilogram  is  also  the 
basis  for  the  definition  of  newton  as  the  amount  of  net  force 

 
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yielding  an  acceleration  of  1  m/s2  to  an  object  with  a  1-kilogram 
mass or 1 N=1 m/s2.  

The  principle  of  the  superposition  of  forces  that  you  have  learned  from  the  First Law also 
holds  true  for  the  Second  Law,  i.e.,  when  an  object  is  accelerating,  the  summation  of  the 

forces  affecting  it    will  produce  the  same  acceleration  ,  similar  to  when 

only  one  force  is  exerted,  provided  its  magnitude  is  equivalent  to  .  Moreover,  the 
direction  of  the  net  external  force  is  similar  to  the  direction  of  the  acceleration.  These 
conclusions lead us to the statement expressing the Second Law of Motion, as follows: 
 
“If  a  net  external  force  acts  on  an  object,  acceleration  occurs—the  direction  of  which  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  net  external  force.  The  net  force  vector  is  the  product  of  the  body’s 
inertial  mass  m  and  the  acceleration  vector.”  It  is  for  this  reason  that  this  law  is  also 
called The Law of Acceleration.  
 
 

What does Newton’s Second Law of Motion state? 

 

 
Calculations for the Second Law of Motion 
The statement above is quantified in the relation that follows: 
 

Equation 
  6.4.1 
 
 
where: 

is the net external force exerted upon an object; 

is the inertial mass (or simply, mass) of the object; and  
is the object’s acceleration whose direction is similar to that of the net  
force.   

 
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A set of component equations may also be derived from the the vector equation above, as 
follows: 
 

 
 
The  Second  Law  is  used  to  solve  dynamics  problems  related  to  forces  that  act  on  an 
accelerating object.  
 

Tips 
Even if the net force F is equal to ma, “ma” does not qualify as a kind 
of  force,  and  must  not  be  treated  as  such.  The  acceleration  vector 
  may  be  drawn  alongside  free-body  diagrams,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
6.4.4a  to  show  the  direction  of  the  acceleration  -  but  never  in  the 
diagram itself, as shown in Fig. 6.4.4b.  
 

Fig. 6.4.4. Correct and incorrect free-body diagrams showing  

 
 
Limitations of the Second Law 

1. The  Second  Law  applies  only  to  external  forces,  defined  earlier  as  the  forces  from 
outside the system of interest of the object under investigation.   
2. The Second Law is only relevant when the object’s mass is constant.   

 
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3. The  Second  Law  may  only  apply  in  inertial  frames  of  references  (perspectives 
where the First Law of Motion is valid).  
 
 

  Let’s Practice!  

Example 1    
What net external force must be applied to make a vehicle accelerate at 2.5 m/s2 if it has a 
mass of 3, 250 kg? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is required in the problem. 

You are asked to calculate the net external force needed to accelerate the 
car. 
 
Step 2: Identify the given in the problem. 
The acceleration , 2.5 m/s2 , and the mass m, 3, 250 kg are given. 
 
 
Step 3: Write the working equation.  

 
 
Step 4: Substitute the given values.  

 
 
Step 5: Find the answer. 

 
 
The net external force ΣF needed to accelerate the car is 8125 N. 
 
 

 
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Unit 6: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 

1  Try It!  
What net force is required to make an 11.5-kg bowling ball to accelerate down along 
an alleyway at a rate of 3.75 m/s2? 

 
Example 2  
A  net  external  force  of  7.5  N  is  exerted upon a 4.65-kg object. If the object’s initial velocity is 
2.3 m/s2 when the force is applied, determine its displacement after 6 seconds. 

 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is required in the problem. 
You are asked to calculate the displacement d of the object after 6 seconds. 
 
Step 2: Identify the given in the problem. 

The net external force , 7.5 N, the mass of the object, 4.65-kg, the initial 
velocity v0 , 2.3 m/s and the time interval t, 6 s are given. 
 
Step 3: Write the working equations.  

First, determine the acceleration of the object using or : 

 
 

Use to calculate the displacement. 

 
Step 4: Substitute the given values.  

 
 
Step 5: Find the answer. 
 
 

 
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The displacement of the object after 6 seconds is 42.78 m. 
 

2  Try It!  
A  net  external  force  of  8.35  N  is  exerted  upon  a  5.5-kg  object.  If  the  object’s  initial 
velocity  is  7  m/s  when  the  force  is  applied,  determine  its  displacement  after  9.0 
seconds. 

Example 3  
A  wind-driven  iceboat,  initially  at  rest  on  a  horizontal  ice  rink,  is  pushed  by  the  wind  such 
that  3.5  seconds  after  its  release,  it  is  travelling  eastward  at  20  kph.  The  boat  and  its  rider 
has  a  combined  mass  of  215.50  kg.  Calculate  the  horizontal  force  Fw  that  the  wind  exerted 
on the boat. 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is required in the problem. 
You are asked to calculate the horizontal force Fw that the wind exerted on the 
boat. 
 
Step 2: Identify the given in the problem. 
The  time  interval  t,  3  s,  the  final  velocity vx, 20 kph, and the mass m, 215.50 kg are 
given.  
 
Determine the forces exerted on the iceboat through a free-body diagram: 

 
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Step 3: Write the working equations.  

Convert 20 kph to as follows: 

1 km = 1000 m and 1 hr = 3600 s, thus:  

 
 
Then,  derive    (acceleration  along  the  horizontal)  from  the  equation 
: 

 
 
 
Solve using the formula .  
 
Step 4: Substitute the given values.  

 
 
 
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Step 5: Find the answer. 

 
 
Thus, the horizontal force Fw that the wind exerted on the boat is 398. 68 N. 
 

3  Try It!  
Consider  the  same  iceboat  pushed  by  the  wind,  this  time,  6.0  seconds  after  its 
release,  it  is  travelling  eastward  at  35  kph.  The  boat  and  its  rider  has  a  combined 
mass  of  215.50  kg.  Calculate  the  horizontal  force  Fw  that  the  wind  exerted  on  the 
boat. 

Example 4  
Consider  an  elevator  and  its  passengers  with  a  combined  load  of  750  kg.  They  have  been 
moving  downward  with  an  initial  velocity  of  11.15  m/s,  before  stopping  at  26.5  m  with  a 
constant  acceleration.  Determine  the  tension  in  the  elevator’s  supporting  cable  before  it 
stopped.  
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is required in the problem. 
You are asked to calculate the tension in the elevator’s supporting cable before it 
stopped. 
 
Step 2: Identify the given in the problem. 
The  mass  m,  750  kg,  the  initial  velocity  v0,  11.15  m/s  ,  and  the  displacement, 26.5 
m are given. 
 
Determine the forces acting on the elevator through a free-body diagram: 

 
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All the forces are acting along the vertical axis. 
 
Step 3: Write the working equations.  
Find  the  net  force  along  the  vertical  using  the  equation 

. 
 

Derive from the equation , as follows: 

 
 

Derive the equation for T using , thus: 

 
 
Step 4: Substitute the given values.  

 
 
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Unit 6: Forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion 
 
 
Step 5: Find the answer. 
 
 
Thus, tension in the elevator’s supporting cable before it stopped is 9112.5 N. 
 

4  Try It!  
Suppose  the  same  elevator  and  its  passengers  now  have a combined load of 815 kg. 
They  have  been  moving  downward  with  an  initial  velocity  of  11.15  m/s,  before 
stopping  at  30.5  m  with  a  constant  acceleration.  Determine  the  tension  in  the 
elevator’s supporting cable before it stopped. 

How do we determine the net force acting on an 

  object using the Second Law of Motion? 
 
 
 

Key Points 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
● Acceleration  refers  to  change  in  velocity.  When  the  net  external  force  (or  the 
combination  of  individual  forces  exerted  on  an  object)  is  not  zero,  acceleration 
occurs.   
● The  magnitude  of  acceleration  a  is  directly  proportional  to  the  magnitude  of  the 
net external force ΣF exerted on an object of a given mass m.  
● The  direct  proportionality  between  acceleration  and  net  force  leads  us  to  a  crucial 
inference:  there  is  a  constant  ratio,  specifically  referred  to  as  inertial  mass  m, 
between the net force’s magnitude ΣF and the acceleration’s magnitude a.  
● Kilogram  is  the SI unit of mass. Newton, the SI unit for force, is  the amount of net 
force  yielding  an  acceleration  of  1m/s2  to  an  object  with  a  1-kilogram  mass  or  1  N 
=1 m/s2.  
 
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● Newton’s  Second  Law  of  Motion  states  that  “if  a  net  external  force  acts  on  an 
object,  acceleration  occurs—the  direction  of  which  is  similar  to  that  of  the  net 
external force. The net force vector is the product of the body’s inertial mass m and 
the  acceleration  vector.”  It  is  for  this  reason  that  this  law  is  also called The Law of 
Acceleration.  
 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Key Formula 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 

Concept  Formula  Description 

Newton’s Second  Use this formula to solve 

 
Law (Law of  the net external force 
 
Acceleration)  acting upon an object when 
where: 
the mass and acceleration 
● is the net external  are given. 
force exerted upon an 
object; 
● is the inertial mass (or 
simply, mass) of the object; 
and 
● is the object’s 
acceleration whose 
direction is similar to that 
of the net force   
 

 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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  Check Your Understanding 

 

A. Identify  what  is  being  referred  to  in  each  of  the  following 
statements. 

______________  1.  A change in velocity is referred to as __________________.   

______________  2. 
  __________________  is  the  combination  of  individual  forces 
exerted on an object.   

   
______________  3.  The  magnitude  of  acceleration    is  __________________  to 

the magnitude of the net external force .   

______________  4.  There  is  a  ________________  ratio  between the magnitudes of 

the net force and acceleration.   

______________  5.  Newton’s  Law  states  the  direction  of  the  acceleration  is 
____________________ to that of the net external force.   

______________  6.  ______________________ is the SI unit of mass.   

______________  7.  Any  force  from  outside  the  system  of  interest  that  affects 
the object under consideration is an______________________.   

   
______________  8.  The  Second  Law  is  only  relevant  when  the  object’s  mass  is 
___________________.   

   
______________  9.  The  Second  Law  may  only apply in ___________________ frames 
of reference.   

______________  10.  Newton  is  the  amount  of  net  force  yielding  an acceleration 
of _______ to an object with a 1-kilogram mass .   
 

 
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B. Solve the following problems.   

 
Items  1-5.  A  rope  of  negligible  mass  is  connected  to  a  4-kg  block  situated  on  a 
horizontal  frictionless  surface.  The  rope  passes  over  a  pulley  with  negligible  friction 
and  mass,  where  a  block  with  mass  m  hangs  from  the  other  side.  When  the  two 
blocks were let go, the rope yielded a 15-N tension force.  
 
1. Draw a free-body diagram for the first block.  
2. Draw a free-body diagram for the second block.  
3. Determine the horizontal acceleration of either block.   
4. Solve for the mass of the second block.   
5. Solve for the gravitational force acting on the second block.   
 
Items 6-10. A 210-kg spacecraft crash-landed on a desert with a velocity of 311 kph  
and ended up 0.810 m underneath the soil.  
 
6. Draw a free-body diagram for the spacecraft.  
7. Determine the spacecraft’s velocity in m/s.   
8. Solve the spacecraft’s acceleration.   
9. Determine  the  force  the  ground  exerted  on  the  spacecraft  during  the  crash 
landing. 
10. Solve the duration of the crash. 0.0186 s  
 

  Challenge Yourself 
 

Answer the following questions.  

1. Explain  why  internal  forces,  or  those  that  act  within  the  system  of  interest  of  the 
object  under  consideration,  are  not  relevant  in  solving  problems  related  to  the 
Second Law of Motion. 
2. No  matter  how  you  stretch  a  rope,  it  still  curves  down  at  the  center  when  you  hang 
 
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something on it. What explains this?  
3. Is  it  possible  for  the  net  external  force  of  a  given  system  to  be  non-zero  while  the 
speed  remains  constant?  Can  the  Second  Law  of  Motion  be  applied  to  such  a 
situation? 
4. Using  Newton’s  Second  Law  of  Motion,  explain  the  net  force  exerted upon an object 
thrown upward when it is at its trajectory’s peak. 
5. In  the  problems  you  have  dealt  with  so  far,  weight  is  always  equal  in  magnitude  to 
that of the normal force.  
 

  Bibliography 
Faughn,  Jerry  S.  and  Raymond  A.  Serway.  Serway’s  College  Physics  (7th  ed).  Singapore: 
Brooks/Cole, 2006. 
 
Giancoli,  Douglas  C.  Physics  Principles  with  Applications  (7th  ed).  USA:  Pearson  Education, 
2014. 
 
Halliday,  David,  Robert  Resnick  and  Kenneth  Krane.  Fundamentals  of  Physics  (5th  ed).  USA: 
Wiley, 2002. 
 
Knight,  Randall  D.  Physics  for  Scientists  and  Engineers:  A  Strategic  Approach  (4th  ed).  USA: 
Pearson Education, 2017.  
 
Serway,  Raymond  A.  and  John  W.  Jewett,  Jr.  Physics  for  Scientists  and  Engineers  with  Modern 
Physics (9th ed). USA: Brooks/Cole, 2014. 
 
Walker, James S. Physics (5th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2017. 
 
Young,  Hugh  D.,  Roger  A.  Freedman,  and  A.  Lewis  Ford.  Sears  and  Zemansky’s  University 
Physics with Modern Physics (13th ed). USA: Pearson Education, 2012. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
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  Key to Try It! 

1. 43.13 N 
2. 69.84 m  
3. 349.11 N 
4. 9649 N 
 

 
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